The present invention relates in general to small housing assemblies for personal electronic devices and in particular to an improved housing assembly for receiving associated electrical components and having a non-destructive, breakaway door panel for accessing a battery used for the source of power.
In small portable radio apparatus or the like, a battery is customarily utilized for powering the device. From time to time it becomes necessary to access the battery at least for purposes of replacement. Housing assemblies, utilizing molded plastic component parts, for small portable electronic apparatus, are of course known in the art. Such assemblies have usually required somewhat elaborate interfitting with one another and are maintained in an assembled relationship by one means or another, such as by screws engaging inserts provided in the molded housing or by other fasteners. This has the objection that inserts molded into the plastic housing to receive the screws will involve a substantial cost. Captive machine screws may be used to prevent the loss of the screws, but are relatively expensive. Similarly, in most instances, special tools of some sort may be required when assembling the housing assembly.
When it is intended only to replace a low-drain battery, it is preferrable that access to the interior of the radio apparatus, vis a vis the battery chamber, be made difficult so as to prevent undesired tampering with the internal chassis and the delicate electrical components contained thereon. In other words, it should be made possible to effectuate a battery replacement by the user without access to the housing proper.
Some housing arrangements include horizontal or vertical sliding panels that slide completely off the housing and for that reason are subject to loss and damage if dropped and stepped on. Often these slidable covers are latched by a separate mechanism completely divorced from the battery cover itself and additionally must be operated with a special tool or coin.
Still other battery panels or doors are designed to pivot about one end to provide access to the battery. The problem here is that oftentimes it pivots in a manner which permits the battery to fall out when the battery door is opened. In addition, such pivoting battery doors may easily be damaged by being forced beyond a set predetermined limit. The doors either break off or are bent out of proper alignment.
Oftentimes, when attempting to access the battery compartment in all of these referenced prior arrangements, the user may exert sufficient force on the battery housing panel to damage the panel in such a manner as to result in a less secure fastening of the panel member to the battery compartment inner housing after the battery has been replaced. Then too, many of these prior art devices have access to the internal battery compartments in such a manner as to require the user to, after removing the external battery compartment panel, turn the unit in an upside down or sideways fashion to remove the battery from its compartment. Oftentimes the battery will fall out during such movement at a time when the user is not ready to effect the replacement. Additionally, as the radio unit is turned from side-to-side a high degree of risk results in that it may drop from the user's hands.